With the increased interest in technical and cave diving over the last ten years, the demands on specialized equipment such as dive reels has also dramatically increased. For the most part the industry has done very little to respond to these demands and the typical dive reel today is still little more than a spool with a handle. While some manufacturers have added some features such as lock down screws, spring loaded release mechanisms and drag control on the spool, none have sufficiently and completely addressed the myriad of problems encountered with underwater line handling. Today the average cave or technical diver must still spend countless hours learning to master line handling techniques that require the diver to use one or both hands throughout the dive to prevent slack, spooling and jumping of the coiled line even with the most advanced reel.
The basic design of the average dive reel itself creates additional problems for the diver. Almost all reels manufactured today use stainless steel or aluminum strip stock to create a framework to mount the spool. This type of construction results in a bulky package having numerous surfaces and edges which entrap and entangle the line.
Until now we have only mentioned the dive reel as it applies to the cave and technical diver. The open water diver also experiences the shortcomings of inadequate line handling equipment while towing surface flags, deploying buoys and conducting surveys or search and recovery operations. Indeed, divers involved in search and rescue operations, especially in murky waters having little or no visibility, are often forced to divert more of their attention to dive reel operation, as opposed to the mission at hand. The only options available to this type of diver have been line winders which can best be described as a flat cleat usually formed out of wire or stamped from sheet plastic. While the line winder is simple and economical, it requires constant attention since it must be paid out or taken up using both hands and then tied off with each change in depth.
One can easily see that regardless of what type of diving a person is involved in, a good deal of time is spent preoccupied with line handling thereby distracting a diver from many of the other important functions that require attention.
Because the newly improved design uses state of the art materials and manufacturing methods it is also economical. This will give the open water diver an affordable alternative to the standard line winder while providing the technical diver with a reel that costs nearly half of what the average reel is in today's market.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved multi-purpose dive reel which automates underwater line-handling.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a standard dive reel with an anti-fouling line control system.
It is yet another object of the invention to manufacture the improved multi-purpose dive reel using a high-impact reinforced polymer construction which is lightweight, inexpensive and not affected by the often corrosive marine environment.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved multi-purpose dive reel having an on/off spool lock switch.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide an improved multi-purpose dive reel having a contoured smooth surface including a comfort grip containing a lanyard attachment loop.
It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide an improved multi-purpose dive reel which may further include a ratcheting spool lock switch, a luminous polymer pigment and a wave washer spool tension control.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings.